Just One More Day
by AKJ4
Summary: A slight change to one of the storylines in Series 6.
1. Chapter 1

**Just One More Day**

"I was thinking that perhaps we could start organising the holiday Henry bequeathed to us. Where would you like to go? Jill?" He prompted again when there was no reply.

"Mmm?" She raised her head and looked over at him. Her eyes were distant and took a while to focus on him.

"I said where would you like to go?"

"Go? Sorry, I don't understand."

"Henry's bequest. Our holiday."

A little realisation and understanding dawned on her, yet she was still slow and hesitant in her reply. "Oh. I don't know really. I'll leave it up to you."

This comment confirmed his thoughts of the past few minutes and drew a frown on his brow. This wasn't like Jill at all. If there was a decision to be made, she would be loath to let anyone else make it for her, even him. And he didn't like the expression on her face; something was definitely bothering her. "Jill, love. Is something the matter?" He asked upon seeing a dullness once again creep upon his wife's features.

"What?" She seemed surprised by his question. "No, no I'm fine. I'll erm… I'll rinse these out." She rose, gesturing towards the empty tea cups upon the coffee table as she made to pick them up. It was with a slightly dazed expression that she exited the living room.

His frown deepened. Something was definitely amiss. He tried to pinpoint exactly what might have happened to upset her so much. She was fine that morning, laughing with the children as they prepared breakfast. They even shared a chaste kiss and cuddle in a lull in the morning bustle. So it was must have happened at work. Perhaps a patient was bothering her. He was about to conclude that that must be the cause when a sudden memory sprung to his mind. The week before, they'd taken the children to the beach one afternoon. Tom and Katie were building a sandcastle palace, with Jonathan's hindrance. He was lazing, stretched out on the picnic rug. But Jill had been sat bolt upright, her hands clasped so tightly in her lap that her knuckles were white. He'd had his eyes shut against the sun's glare, but had become aware of unusual ragged and uneven breathing from the woman beside him. He'd looked up and seen such an intense look of worry on her face that it made him want to take her in his arms and protect her from everything. But instead he'd questioned her. She'd snapped out of it immediately, smiled and… And changed the subject, successfully side-tracking him. He'd thought nothing more of the occasion until now. But now that had presented itself, several more occasions came to mind. It seemed she had been acting strangely for a while, and he'd failed to notice.

With a sigh, he rose and went in search of his troubled wife.


	2. Chapter 2

Gordon found Jill in the kitchen, just standing before the sink, staring out into the darkened garden, although as he moved beside her, all he could see was the brightly lit room reflected back at them. "Jill?" He murmured, easing the two, still unwashed, teacups from her hands. "What is it Jill?" He spoke again, softly, mindful of upsetting her further; she wasn't the most open of people at the best of times, he didn't want her to feel pressured.

"I can't tell you." She whispered, averting her face from the softness of his gaze, and turning from the window, away from the image of her saddened features. She hated her secret. She hated how she had no control. She hated the fact that she would eventually be forced to tell him. But most of all, she hated what would happen once she did.

"Why not?" He eventually asked, a little fear beginning to grip him as a tear crept down his wife's soft skin. The response he was granted was a shake of her head. He captured her hand on its path to brush away the moisture from her cheek. He completed the task instead, cupping her face in his palm and using the contact to gently raise her head. "You can tell me anything Sweetheart. You know that, don't you? I won't be angry, I promise you that."

She shook her head again. "You can't promise that." And she stepped regretfully away from his touch; it was all too uncomfortable and claustrophobic in her emotional state. But part of her wanted to prolong the contact, for fear it would be that last time he would show her such affection and concern. She supposed, despite knowing the inevitability of his discovery of her news, she wanted to delay the occasion, wanted to delay the point when everything would change between them.

The concern within Gordon meanwhile grew in the face of Jill's strange behaviour. She was hesitant, quiet, reticent even. The woman before him was the exact opposite to the normally strong, confident and happy woman he knew as his colleague, wife and best friend. But most worrying of all, he could see a deep seated fear in her wide, tear-filled eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

Gordon felt as though the frown that had furrowed his brow the evening before had been a permanent fixture all night. There had been no continuation of their conversation. She had pushed past him, out of the kitchen, and was settled in bed by the time he had finished the night time routine of tidying, switching off and locking up. He was sure she was only pretending to be asleep, yet he didn't question her; knowing his wife as he did, he deemed it wise not to force her to reveal her emotions. So he'd merely brushed a kiss across her cheek, in what he hoped was a message that he loved her, and settled down beside her to sleep.

When he'd awoken the next morning, he found the space beside him empty. She was nowhere to be found within the house, and a peak out of the living room net curtains confirmed that her car was missing. He could only assume, and hope, that she had gone to work.

Getting the children ready on time occupied his mind for the next three quarters of an hour, and he had little time to dwell on Jill's behaviour until he had bade them farewell at the school gates. The remaining distance to the hospital, however, provided ample time for his concerns to fester and his worries to grow.

Jill meanwhile, had been sat at her desk since the early hours of the morning. She had caught up with some correspondence and was currently pouring over various fundraising strategies. She had had a productive few hours. The tasks had needed doing, yet she knew that all she was doing was really avoiding her problems. Still, she was happy enough to delay the inevitable heartbreak for as long as possible, and ploughed with even greater concentration into the reams of figures before her. It was with a great effort therefore, that Jill had to respond to the familiar knock on her office door later on that morning.

"You left early Sweetheart." It was indeed her husband who entered. He walked towards her, but stopped short of kissing her; he figured he'd hold off on that pleasure until he could discern her mood.

"Oh." She shrugged with a forced lightness, trying to surreptitiously hide the papers under a journal, and failing as his gaze immediately fell on them. Seeing his suspicious expression, she hastened to explain them away, though it was perhaps unwise that her tone was slightly defensive. "It's just some paperwork."

"Like what?" He pressed.

"Just…" She sighed as she saw the determination in his gaze. "I'm trying to figure out a fundraising strategy for the prem baby unit." The expression on his face changed to one she had recently become too accustomed to seeing. "Don't look at me like that Gordon! I wasn't going to tell you just because I knew how you'd react. But you pushed, so you do not have the right to begin criticising me."

"I wasn't. Jill I-"

"Oh you were." She retorted, quietly, slowly and strongly. "It's happened far too often."

"Jill." He tried again, a pleading note to his words. "Don't be unreasonable."

"Get out please."

The shock at her words made his reply delayed, though he said little of substance, merely repeating her name in a questioning tone.

She gazed at him with a hard expression, covering up whatever emotions she held at that moment. The reiteration of her demand was harsh however, carrying a undercurrent of anger which once again surprised her husband. "I said get out."

"Alright!" He held his hands up and stepped out of the doorway before she used physical force, which she certainly looked set to do. The door was immediately closed, and he had to force himself to move from his position and prevent his mouth hanging open in shock.

He reflected , as he sadly made his way into his office, and sank wearily down into his chair, that this was not the Jill he knew. Jill didn't pick fights for no reason, she was always so calm and reasonable. Things had been difficult between them for a while, but it had never before reached the stage when one of them would be practically thrown out of the other's office.

No, it only served to confirm that something was definitely troubling his wife.


End file.
